ABC Network - Three's Company - "Upstairs, Downstairs, Downstairs" (Complete Broadcast, 2/18/1981) 📺

Here's a complete repeat broadcast (albeit slightly pre-empted, with drawn-out announcer summary substituting for the first 4 minutes) of the Three's Company episode "Upstairs, Downstairs, Downstairs" (S05E01, originally aired October 28th 1980) which followed President Ronald Reagan's first address to Congress on the ABC Network, via WLS Channel 7.
Includes:
Quick voiceover & slide promos for upcoming Three's Company and Vega$ episodes (voiceover by Bill Rice?)
Commercials for:
Vicks Formula 44D
Promo for 3:00 Movie airing of "The New Planet of the Apes" for Thursday (voiceover by Ernie Anderson)
With Three's Company slide showing, voiceover (by Bill Rice) explains plot thus far in (too much?) detail, before joining Act I in progress (missed about the first 4 minutes of the show)
Commercials for:
Gallo Hearty Burgundy wine (with wine and food critic Charlotte Palmstierna)
No Nonsense Control Top Panty Hose (who are the two ladies again?)
Post Grape Nuts cereal - ""Grape-Nuts...with respect for nature" (another in the series with the same actors can be found here: • Grape Nuts - "Breakfas... )
Promo for Benson and The Intruder Within, followed by Democratic reply to State of Union speech for Friday (voiceover by Ernie Anderson)
Animated 'star' ABC ID, with lower-third station ID for WLS-TV CHICAGO 7 coming on afterwards
Episode Act II
Three's Company bumper (voiceover by John Ritter)
Commercials for:
Holiday Inn - #1 in People Pleasin'
Alka-Seltzer Plus cold medicine (with Susan Evans, Dennis Haas, George Miller, Joni Gallup and Carolyn Rode)
Toyota Starlet
Episode epilogue, followed by ending credits (and voiceover promo for Barney Miller and Taxi by Bill Rice?)
Promo for The ABC Sunday Night Movie airing of "Norma Rae" (main voiceover by Ernie Anderson) (ending voiceover by Bill Rice)
Commercials for:
Hawaiian Punch (with Donny & Marie Osmond)
Promo for "Seven on Your Side" report from Roberta Baskin, "Danger: Trucks Ahead," for 10:00pm (voiceover by Gary Gears)
Station ID / promo for 10pm Eyewitness News with Joel Daly
First 5 seconds of Vega$ open
This aired on local Chicago TV on Wednesday, February 18th 1981 during the 8:34pm to 9:00pm timeframe.
This was from a tape donated to The Museum of Classic Chicago Television as part of The George Jen Collection.
Footage from Three's Company is displayed here courtesy of DLT Entertainment, Ltd. - www.threescompany.com
About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:
The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: [e-mail] Even though (mostly) short clips are displayed here, we preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives - the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to DVD, please e-mail [e-mail] Thank you for your help!

[@Fairlady350Z]

My all time favorite tv show. There will never be a comedy show like this ever.

[@simonparry5958]

Don't forget based on English series Man about the house

[@anushkabalkissoon]

U U ⁹⁹the 😊 2:09 😊

[@arnoldlorenzo9857]

John Ritter is a LEGEND

[@donleskovar1816]

I agree Arnold

[@arnoldblashak171]

I was sad to see he passed away so young

[@AwestaKhalid]

I like how there was a full spoiler of the episode before they played the episode hahah

[@gm12551]

Regan interrupted the start of the show

[@Joanne-i7q]

The President's speech cut off the beginning of the episode.

[@jenniferwilson7762]

I love the nostalgic commercials!! I remember some of these!!

[@hogskins3043]

[Denice] Oh, Jock. You must think I am just a big baby, huh? [Jack] Neeooo!!! 🤣🤣🤣

[@AllenMQuinn]

I wish they'd put Three's Company on streaming. Was one of my favourite shows as a kid.

[@greatunz67]

its in syndication on oldie tv stations all the time, i don't think a day has passed in my life that it isn't on somehwere, every minute of the day

[@Supremmo]

It would be perfect for Netflix or Amazon Prime

[@CathyBill]

All episodes are on Pluto Tv. Live streaming and On Demand.

[@paleshelter4002]

Great show.. Before producers had a robotic sitcom agenda

[@tammyiannone488]

@@CathyBill thats true but what sucks is that Pluto cut out some of the funniest moments in the show. Even though the show is funny from start to finish they threw out the especially funny parts!!! I'm so thankful I bought the whole set on DVD because that's where they're all unedited and raw and even include the chasers at the end which were edited for commercial time on TV!

[@martybass7376]

Larry had COVID !

[@PurpleRain500]

WOW! What a treasure! This is one of my favorite episodes! It’s amazing an 80’s broadcast of this classic! It’s like I’m right there! Thank you!

[@wiedep]

This is why live announcers are important.

[@QuadMochaMatti]

Just wait, they're working on AI everything. No more live announcers, no live anything. They'll have the news delivered by that insipid TikTok manipulated woman's voice, the one with the vocal fry exceeding way beyond 11.

[@donleskovar1816]

John Ritter was an icon still sad to this day that he's gone

[@DomeDweller]

Been 20 something years already since his passing.

[@WarholSuperstar]

Oh man, this upload has it ALL. One of the all-time great Three's Company episodes for starters... but as a bonus, we also get - The wonderfully elaborate Bill Rice 'story so far' reading - ERNIE ANDERSON (I've never wanted to see the Democratic reply to the President's address more - he could sell anything) - Donny and Marie in that Hawaiian Punch ad - A couple seconds of the Vega$ theme This RULES.

[@jnadle1]

Bill should've been picked to announce for 2-part episodes, starting with "Previously on Three's Company..."

[@ignaciohernandez3584]

I love the COMMERCIALS

[@donleskovar1816]

Also miss Don Norman Audra and Ann wedge worth lana

[@zandorvorkov986]

Lana was my favorite! Even over all the beautiful women Jack dated, she was the best one of all and only came in on the last season.

[@carltonthepug]

Omg you have the old commercials in this too! Now it really takes me back to the days I was plopped on my pillow in front of the giant tube television watching this. Thanks!!!

[@TheSteveTheDragon]

This show was lightning in a bottle. So much great talent.

[@ricardolozano5356]

john ritter the straw that stirs the drink on three's company

[@jordanthomas7304]

@@ricardolozano5356 RIP John and Don.

[@raulzavala9061]

At 7:56 the blonde in the panty hose commercial is Ilene Graff who would guest star in an episode of Three's Company and later played the mom on Mr. Belvedere.

[@briansetpente1019]

Another classic show Mr belvedere👍

[@HakimIshak]

Is she related to Jessie Graff?

[@judedesilva8366]

Upload more episodes of "Three's Company" please?

[@mariamagdalena2214]

I love the old commercials. Brings back memories.

[@stephenshelton4267]

Why is she going downstairs to go up to Larry's apartment?

[@lindasavage5968]

Love threes company my child hood memories an commercials brought back so many memories ty

[@lauramartinez3808]

Loved the show as well as the old commercials. Thanx

[@purple169]

Lordy, I'm having flash-backs going back nearly 50 yrs. The commercials were also great to see! Thanks for posting this..

[@JasonBrymesser]

Lordy Lordy Lordy as Jack says

[@zxccxz164]

Hahaha did they really explain the so up front?????

[@andrewpollard_]

What a... fascinating example of a TV show rerun overrun. Bill Rice should've gotten a raise for that.

[@GFI888]

Lol, I don't think the networks today would bother. They just JIP and let the viewer figure it out.

[@andrewpollard_]

@@GFI888 no, they wouldn't. haha Thank God for the streaming sites.

[@Tomovox_PAMS_Radio_JIngles]

Yeah, I thought that was really something special! I don't think I've ever seen that done for any other show where they had to join it "already in progress". I think it was done excellently, kinda with a fun, tongue-in-cheek edge.

[@TorontoLifeByRy]

After all these years and countless times watching these episodes makes me laugh and smile everytime like it was the first time watching

[@opticalmixing23]

This is a great show. No cell phones, no cars, no stress

[@chrysostom8987]

of all of the building I love mr.furly.

[@newhorizonsforfifty2833]

Whaddya mean, "non-narcotic cough suppressant?" Do you mean to tell me that they kept narcotics in cough suppressants throught the 70s?

[@Joanne-i7q]

YES. people got addicted to cough meds

[@costash1212]

Brings back a lot of memories! Great feeling!

[@josefinamartinez2251]

Loved the show

[@charlenepinola4310]

Looking for the episode where they went a nude beach.

[@chrysostom8987]

never mind I watch it again and I seen him bring them up with the salad sorry about My other comet.

[@tj921able]

It's so neat you put up the original network broadcast. Loved hearing the announcer fill everyone in on the plot.

[@theriddler8695]

I don't ever remember voice work intros this elaborate (usually they just said "We now join Three's Company already in progress". What interrupted this telecast a Presidential speech??

[@vashtikelly6837]

I LOVE OLD SCHOOL TV AND COMMERCIALS......IM JOINING THIS CHANNEL.....HOPE YOU GOT BJ AND THE BEAR/BARETTA/TRAPPER JOHN MD ALSO.....

[@meehow72]

I'm not a day over October. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Mr Furley cracked me up.

[@ARMYEEUU]

I was born 89 I started watching this great show in 2000 but how great to see 80's commercials is 2022 imagine when I'm 70 I'll be looking back at 2005 shows on youtube with the commercials an say I was actually there live 😂 it mames me sad 😔 those years are gone an never coming back enjoy kids you only get one life

[@JefferyWaybright]

Born in 1989??! Wow! 😲😲😳😳 I really feel old....born in 1970 here. I was 7 yrs old when this show started in 1977, but wasn't allowed to watch it 'til 1980. My dad said it wasn't appropriate for lil kids.....Gee, I wonder why??! This & LHOTP were my 2 fav shows!! John Ritter was a LeGEnD! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@chrysostom8987]

can dorrien say to Jack why 3 hamburgers why so much food for one person this is enough food to give to an army 🙏🙏🪖.

[@yoncedelrey]

one of my fav episodes lol. thanks for the upload! 💕

[@sweetlou1973]

As a teenager I crushed on all the girls in this show but Denise was so sexy to me. Jack the playa’s playa!

[@videox222ify]

This was the first episode of S5 and the second to last full episode Suzanne Somers did before she was fired.

[@Joanne-i7q]

It was handled very badly. She's great in this episode ...and she left a body of work that nobody can take away.

[@videox222ify]

@@Joanne-i7q her final ep the one with the $100 a night hooker was one of my favorites and I thought Joyce DeWitt was especially pretty in that show

[@stephanienewbern769]

Love this episode. Season 4 was one of my faves of Three's Company.

[@JasonBrymesser]

I love this post of Three's Company. Thank you. Please post more episodes and leave the commercials it is great memories of when I was a teenager. Three's Company is the absolute best!!! 🚪Aptmnt 201

[@stevencoffman]

awesome upload with the original commercials i feel like i'm 13 again. and vega$ at the end it would be awesome to watch that upload of vega$

[@cocochanelly5193]

Definitely nostalgic, takes me way back in the days when I was just a kid!💗

[@BrianSerpente]

No one could do slapstick comedy better than John ritter😂

[@mistofoles]

Grape-nuts ! Yummy !

[@stephenshelton4267]

I remember Formula 44D!

[@JENDALL714]

This must be a rerun, because Chrissy was already off the show by 1981.

[@phantom6226]

You should have seen the night the ABC announcer on duty gave a lengthy recap to an episode of "The Fall Guy" joined in twenty minutes in progress after a presential speech.

[@FuzzyMemoriesTV]

Are you thinking of this clip? kzbin.info/www/bejne/epyZfH-pZbugeac

[@chrysostom8987]

I love this comedy program cedcome slapsticks I am very sorry that ended too soon it should never end I was wondering if you guys can make an other one base on the same idea and last for very long time 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹.

[@CathyBill]

Grape Nuts man scary 😳

[@JUVI9596]

20:37 jack runs in gets caught. Love it

[@Supremmo]

Back when they use to have Central and Mountain.

[@kennethoats2322]

This episode was INSANE 🤣🤣🤣

[@movistartotaluni]

BEST EPISODE OF THE SEASON. MAYBE ENTIRE SHOW. GOODBYE CHRISSY :(

[@cynthiamarie4556]

Thank you Thank you Thank you 😃

[@carltonthepug]

The Toyota Starlet was my first car 🤣🤣

[@Del-Canada]

Going on 19 years since John passed. Born and died in the same month and same hospital. I miss you, John.

[@Joanne-i7q]

He was only 54. 😢 1948-2003

[@Del-Canada]

@@Joanne-i7q Yea, once you are older than that you realize 54 is relatively young.

[@ahmednalayeh2656]

This was a lovely show.

[@jamesrobertson5935]

Ronald Reagan wasn't preside until Jan. 1981

[@FuzzyMemoriesTV]

Yeah - and your point is?

[@Mrd9960]

That's why it's called a debate, lol

[@chrysostom8987]

I don't remember Jack bringing the lamb chops upstairs when did he do it?? .

[@bitwawesome1]

Romance girl,

[@mysticakhenaton1701]

the 3:30pm Movie, on WLS TV Chicago. now that's going WAY BACK

[@JENDALL714]

The 3:30 movie is where I first saw Planet of the Apes TV show, they would splice the episodes together to make it like a movie, and the 1974 fake Wonder Woman movie was always shown for some reason.

[@mysticakhenaton1701]

@@JENDALL714 KOOL TIMES THOUGH!!!

[@JENDALL714]

@@mysticakhenaton1701 It was Good Times, ain't lucky we got 'em!

[@mattjarrells]

7:57 - Janet and Chrissy stunt doubles?

[@mistofoles]

Nice of the announcer to spoil the whole episode before it even began.

[@garrysaint-vil725]

By Bill Rice 🪦

[@walterszewczyk9024]

Who would believe you,d want to tape the TV shows with the commercials included? 😮 Nobody in the 80,s for example were even thinking of the added nostalgia bonus in taping a fav' show avec les commercials. Lol 😂. Remember going over to a friends house who had taped the Return of the Incredible Hulk the other night we wanted to watch,remember one other friend asked if taped without the commercials on the VHS tape, he responded, of course & we were all happy 😊. Lol Though this was in '88 in junior high & who would've thought we would years later want to watch these old shows commercials included for nostalgia alone? 😅 Lol.

[@Joanne-i7q]

A brilliant show, that broke barriers for TV: -Guys & girls living together. -Openly talking about gay roommate. (What a change, from the very conservative comedies of the 1960s.)

[@TheLightFish]

Rip John Ritter.

[@tj921able]

I felt so sorry for Jack by the end of the episode. LOL

[@thegameshowguy1]

You and me both. The man tried his best.

[@cathedral94]

He had it coming. 🤣🤣🤣

[@tj921able]

@Veronica A. That's true. 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

[@anthonyarriaga4915]

Rest In Peace John Ritter 1948-2003 and Don Knotts 1924-2006 and Suzanne Somers 1946-2023

[@reminicrush9016]

The Toyota Starlet getting 54mpg !!! Wow..!

[@nomadicolours]

Already in progress? Wow!

[@JUVI9596]

Apparently the commercials and episode description is more important than the show itself

[@joejoewest]

RIP Suzanne Somers

[@ceridwynnhaven6236]

What a cozy treasure!!! Thank you!✨🥰✨

[@Kooritz]

Perfect way to describe this show!!!

[@paulcarucci7936]

So according to tv guide east coast edition for this night. It was 8pm-9 Guinness book of worlds records. 9pm-9:30 this episode of Three's company. 930-11;00 it says The Carter Reagan Debate. That if course is eastern time. Wonder how Chicago (being only an hour off) had it so different. Adding Vegas at the end seemed more like a west coast move because the debate had been so early.

[@FuzzyMemoriesTV]

Carter / Reagan debate? I think you’re looking at the original airdate for this episode of Three’s Company - this was a re-run.

[@kimmilliner7300]

My favourite shown🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@chrysostom8987]

All that food wastes I don't like to see food wasted I do know that you have to make the vedio but food is being wasted.

[@kyleellis1825]

You know, I think they should reboot the show. Just the basic concept of an overbearing landlord and a possible love triangle of misunderstandings was great.

[@bitwawesome1]

Wow,

[@richarddenny5340]

I love the show, great comedic writing brought to life be a talented cast.

[@betaville72]

I dont understand how it is 'complete' with the beginning missing.

[@betaville72]

'Complete' as in this was how the episode was (re)broadcast', while the episode itself is indeed incomplete, i guess.

[@FuzzyMemoriesTV]

Sounds like you answered your own question - but yes, it says “Complete **Broadcast**” not complete episode, which is exactly what it is - the complete airing of Three’s Company that night, as broadcast. They used an announcer summary for the missing opening three minutes - if it was good enough for ABC to broadcast that night then it’s good enough for us to display here.

[@smoothsmith1965]

not only that, there were commercials in it too, but they weren't cut.

[@Jim-lu9pw]

At least the part they did show was unedited. So many reruns of the show today are edited with some of the best scenes missing.

[@tyrese3745]

RIP Suzanne Somers

[@chrisholcombe137]

Memory lane ! Thank you

[@marcuspi999]

That intro was strange. I watched all of these shows live back then and I don't remember a network narrator ever summarizing the plot of a sitcom.

[@LittleLulubee]

Me, neither!! What was that? Maybe they only had it in certain states? 🤔

[@mikehunt4986]

Thanks for uploading! Great episode and it even has the commercials to boot!

[@RobVanDelay_WholeFnContest]

Lovethesekeep wm coming

[@kenfrievalt7826]

Tight dresses

[@user-rl1nv1xp1y]

The show and the commercials illustrates by comparison how awful things have become. Thank God for nostalgia.

[@subg8858]

Well, the compact cars got better at least

[@mtaylor2232]

did he really have to give the entire plot away?

[@FuzzyMemoriesTV]

He only summarized what had happened already in the episode. He was getting people caught up - not spoiling.

[@derekclancy6916]

I've noticed in several interviews that Suzanne Somers has done she always mentions about her and John Ritter's on screen chemistry together, which was great, I agree. But when she mentions this, it's just her and John. She never really mentions Joyce DeWitt. In my opinion, all three of them had good on screen together and they were all the stars equally of the show, contrary to what Suzanne said when she was on Dancing With The Stars, "the star of Three's Company". Suzanne also said in one interview that before John died, she made amends with him and discussed with him about doing a project together, herself and John. What about Joyce? She should have been included in the supposed project as well.

[@overcomerbtboj]

I can’t explain her comment on DWTS but when suzanne made amends with john she and joyce were not speaking at the time

[@Dani-ICU-RN]

Me. Too.. bewitched happy days...etc

[@pce12345]

Rip John Ritter and Suzanne Somers

[@noevillanueva9902]

Rip. Tripper for life!!

[@adampoe2797]

Love it!

[@elizabradley4797]

Bless Suzanne Somers🌸 Bless John Ritter too. He was really a handsome guy & great actor. Suzanne was such an adorable 'Chrissy.'. This is truly the vibes of late 70's ~ happy time ~ Santa Monica was so safe ~ apartment life was great ~ parties ~ everybody shared costs ~ everybody worked hard ~ everybody partied hard ~ very best of times 🎉🛋️

[@Joanne-i7q]

Baloney . They had all the same problems we have today. Strokes , disability, poverty , broken families, cheaters, frauds, missing persons, violence , Vietnam vets with terrible trauma, and much much more. 😢

[@blackphoenix77]

This show was not the same after Chrissy left. Rest in peace John Ritter & Don Knotts

[@terrencedavis9921]

The way he says "No" to the French cutie is beyond funny!

[@nataliegillmore7436]

R.I.P. Suzanne Somers😢

[@edwinrodriguez6192]

RIP Suzanne Sommers 😢😢

[@stantonrogers]

Request: ABC's Silver Anniversary Celebration

[@highpriestofgavinalmightyh1304]

Aw sweet nostalgia…